PENNSYLVANIA: Obama

Published: November 6, 2008

Pennsylvania, long described as a swing state or a battleground state, helped Senator Barack Obama clinch his victory. Senator John McCain made an all-out push here, but Mr. Obama became the fifth Democrat in a row to carry the state in a presidential election.

Mr. Obama received strong support in Philadelphia and ran well in parts of northeastern Pennsylvania that Mr. McCain had been counting on.

In the northwestern corner of the state, the Democratic Congressional candidate, Kathy Dahlkemper, scored an upset victory over Representative Phil English, a seven-term Republican.

Mr. English, a lifelong resident of Erie, is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Ms. Dahlkemper, a co-owner of a family landscaping business, boasted that she was ''not a career politician.'' But she benefited from television advertisements run by the campaign committee for House Democrats.

Representative John P. Murtha, a Democrat who has earmarked tens of millions of dollars for projects in his district, survived a challenge from a political unknown, William Russell, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, in the 12th District.

Mr. Murtha, a hero to antiwar Democrats, has served in the House for 34 years. He alienated some voters by referring to western Pennsylvania as racist and redneck.

''You keep sending me back regardless of what I say,'' Mr. Murtha told supporters celebrating his victory on Tuesday.

Representative Paul E. Kanjorski, a 12-term Democrat from the coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania, beat back a strong challenge from Lou Barletta, the mayor of Hazleton, in the 11th District. Mr. Barletta has become nationally prominent for his efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants.

In the Fourth District, Representative Jason Altmire, a Democrat, defeated Melissa Hart, the Republican challenger, who held the Pittsburgh area seat for six years before being defeated by Mr. Altmire in 2006.